Rage Against the Machine
Who and where: At the Rock the Bells concert at Randall's Island with Public Enemy, The Roots, Wu Tang Clan, EPMD and othersWhen: Noon, Saturday and SundayHow much: $156 and $83. Call (609) 520-8383 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

BY WES ORSHOSKIFOR THE STAR-LEDGER

It's been nearly seven years since Rage Against the Machine's fiery, dreadlocked frontman Zack de la Rocha walked away from the band. For most of that time, guitarist Tom Morello says he never got wistful about a reunion.

And why would he? Within two years of de la Rocha's departure, he and Rage's other two members released their first album as Audioslave, the band fronted by Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. Then Morello has birthed a solo career, writing an album of acoustic political songs as "The Nightwatchman."

But last year, after Morello took in a performance by fellow early-'90s alt-rock giants Alice in Chains -- whose members pressed on despite the passing of frontman Layne Staley -- his feelings began to change: "I saw one of the first Alice reunion shows at the Roxy (in Hollywood), and there was a real, tangible, palpable excitement."

"The sort of gratitude that I felt as a fan of that band," Morello continues, pausing momentarily. "There they were playing these songs that are totally kicking my a--, and I did think to myself at that time, 'Ya know what, all the guys in Rage are still alive. Imagine what the excitement might be like in the room if we were to reunite!'"

Rage had formed in the early¤'90s, melding the fierce rapping of de la Rocha with Morello's innovative playing, a hybrid of Black Sabbath-esque riffing, hip-hop record-scratching and barnyard noises. The band's three heavily-politicized albums throttled it into arenas.

Less than a year after Morello's nostalgic moment, the reunion fantasy played out as the band headlined April's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., for a sold-out crowd of 60,000 (many of whom braved hours in the Death Valley heat for a spot near the stage). The rap-rock band plays its second and third reunion shows this weekend, headlining the Rock the Bells hip-hop festival.

The Rage reunion began to take shape last year, when Audioslave was on a break (which became permanent), Morello was working on his solo project, and Rage/Audioslave bassist Tim Commerford reignited his surfing friendship with de la Rocha.

"It just kind of came together," says Morello, noting the perfect timing. "And, certainly, the country needed Rage Against the Machine now more than ever. I don't think it's a coincidence that in the seven years that Rage was away the country slid into this fascist morass. There haven't been enough voices raised to counter that slide to the right."

Of the reunion shows, which also include stops in California (at San Francisco and San Bernardino) and Las Vegas, Morello says: "It's friends getting back together to play songs that are important to us."